Looking Back on 2008….

For various reasons, when I was younger I was convinced that my unlucky number was 8, and was always worried about how the year 2008 would pan out for me. As we closed 2008 and opened 2009, I began to look back on this past year to see what exactly had happened… whether for better or worse. I realized that 2008 brought more blessings, opportunities, and learning experiences than any other year and has really helped to mold me into who I will probably be for the rest of my life. I was blessed with amazing roommates who felt like family to me, I went to California and L.A. for the first time (YAs), I traveled to Australia and went to 9 different cities in 3 weeks – and even got to spend my birthday overseas (YAs). I learned so much from being a part of Young Ambassadors, and learned how to take risks and to go for what I really want, no matter how outlandish it may seem. I have happened upon so many more freelance opportunities both in sports broadcast as well as in film. I worked for 4 different sports broadcast companies filming gigs all over Utah and a couple in Idaho as well. I got to watch the post-production sound process on a film and continued working various things through the Motion Picture Studio in Provo. I worked American Idol this summer and got to help with the sound department on part of High School Musical 3. I finally got to date someone for longer than half a week, and finally learned how to date. I was able to miraculously get all necessary classes added, waived, and/or substituted in order to be able to graduate in December. I was blessed with at least one friend in all of my classes, which made all classes more bearable and also much easier to study for. I had the best visit with my family that I had ever had, and actually enjoyed sharing a room with my sister. But perhaps the most significant thing of 2008 is that I finally learned how to be MYSELF. Not how I should be or how someone else thought I should be, but how I wanted to be and how I wanted to do things. I learned to stop being afraid of what others think and to just be out there and have fun. I finally fully conquered my fear of singing in front of others - just a few months ago.  I used be afraid to crack a joke, worrying that it wouldn’t end up being funny; but that doesn’t matter anymore. Some work, some don’t and you won’t know until you try. And though I have mentioned quite a few things, there are plenty of others from this year that have probably slipped through the cracks; these I have mentioned I suppose are just the most significant of the year. But all in all, what a great year. I only hope that as I begin life (and this year) as a regular, non-student working-class person that it will be even greater than 2008… I have a good feeling about this year. :)